Assurant cutting 75 jobs

Assurant, one of Clark County’s largest employers, will cut 75 jobs as part of a restructuring.

The layoffs are the result of a reduction in business from a client, said Robert Byrd, a spokesman for Assurant Specialty Property.

“Our business and our Ohio staff have grown significantly in recent years,” Byrd said in statement. “However, with a reduction in business from a business client, we have notified the Springfield/Dayton staff that approximately 75 positions out of some 2,500 are being eliminated.

“Impacted employees have been notified and will receive severance pay and outplacement assistance,” the statement says. “We appreciate their service, and we are committed to treating our departing colleagues fairly and equitably.”

The company will work with local and state officials to determine what training might be available for those employees, Byrd said. It is also working with a career management firm to assist laid off employees in developing their resumes, said Lehan Peters, deputy director of OhioMeansJobs of Clark County.

The agency is collecting a list of names and contact information for those individuals, Peters said, and is working with any employees who visit the agency for additional assistance.

“I can tell you that we’ve had more than several people come into the OneStop asking for additional assistance, which we are providing,” Peters said.

The employees affected have various skill levels, she said, from upper management to entry level workers.

The agency also has continued to work with employees of other local companies that have announced layoffs, including Eby-Brown, which cut more than 30 jobs earlier this year. Kmart, 1476 Upper Valley Pike, also recently announced it would close in December, affecting about 68 workers.

Assurant also will work with other agencies to see what kind of training is available for employees affected by the layoffs, Byrd said.

“Assurant held an event where impacted employees met with representatives of the labor department as well as OhioMeansJobs,” he said. “We have also referred our departing colleagues to numerous resources for job training and assistance, including OhioMeansJobs and several local colleges.”

Employees who were laid off can apply for other jobs within the company, Byrd said. But he added that some of the available positions require specific skills.

“Impacted employees are welcome to apply for other positions at Assurant,” he said. “We do have some openings currently in other functions, but the job qualifications may vary.”

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The Springfield News-Sun provide unmatched coverage of Clark County’s largest employers. The paper was the first to speak to company officials to break the news of the layoffs.